Chasing Happiness
August 10, 2020Whether it’s “have I remembered to take the meat out for dinner?” or “I need to google natural dog shampoo recipes” there is no denying the frustration of those constant thoughts or distractions that drift into your awareness while trying to get your Zen on.
In the next few minutes, I will cover some hot tips that I have learned from experience and from the experts about how to get through the distractions and drop deeper into your center and into your meditation practice.
Breathing
Focus on your breathing.
Begin by taking deep slow and long breaths deep into your belly. Breathing is really key here to allow everything to slow down.
Body Scan
Check- in with your body and ask “where in my body am I holding stress or tension?“. Take another deep breath and as you exhale – imagine releasing all of that stress and tension out of your body.
Breath….
Breath….
If it sounds like meditation is a lot about breathing, you are correct.
Davidji – divine teacher and soulful leader and author of
destressifying: The Real-World Guide to Personal Empowerment, Lasting Fulfillment, and Peace of Mind;
From <https://davidji.com/davidji-biography/>
describes the space between the inhale and the exhale as the ‘sweet spot’.
Meditation is the antidote to stress
As we slow and deepen our breath we lower our heart rate, suppress cortisol, glucagon and adrenaline and boost our immune system. Meditation helps ease pain and the nonstop swirl of thoughts.
With the unsettling times we are all experiencing in 2020 it’s a good time to connect back into your heart center and experience a sense of calm and peace to alleviate stress and improve mental health.
Someone once told me that the distractions, the demons, thoughts etc (call it what you will) are like levels you need to get past until you reach the top level where you are at the height of actualization.
It is in that space that you can really experience your bliss and the benefits of mindfulness meditation really kick in.
Meditation is not about stopping distractions or thoughts but actually working with them and allowing them to come in and drift out of our awareness.
Tara Brach talks about ‘R-A-I-N’.
This has been life changing for me and moved me away from being judgmental toward the thoughts and feelings that came up in my early mindfulness meditations to now understanding how I can bring loving- kindness into the big issues.
RAIN
R – Recognize – The thoughts and feelings, let them be as big as they are
A – Allow – Don’t resist or fight the resistance. Just put a pause on it for now.
I – Investigate – Get down to where the vulnerability is. What is below of the resistance.
N – Nurture – Ask what does this need right now. Whatever is needed for you to feel better, do that thing.
Tara Brach says to meet with the edge and soften it with RAIN.
Keep doing RAIN until the resistance is no longer there. It doesn’t happen the first time – sometimes it is a process.
What happens after the RAIN?
Notice the difference between who you were with the mask on (with all the resistance whether it be anger, fear etc) and who you are after the nurturing.
After the RAIN do you notice the shift? Notice what is there.
The softening, the vulnerability.
What if this is too big?
Sometimes we cannot open ourselves to RAIN if the topic is too big for right now. You need to do a lot of metta (loving- kindness) first.
The nurturing is most important to prevent re-traumatizing and to build the stability in the nervous system in order to eventually fully surrender.
Once you have moved past the thoughts
In the powerful stillness and silence, you might like to ask yourself “what really matters”. See what comes into your awareness, and then once your meditation practice is over, write down what came up for you.
I keep a journal of these heartful messages as these are what my soul is asking and yearning for from me to know.
If you have any questions or would like to engage in further conversation about this topic please join in on the Olive Therapies facebook page.
3 Comments
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